File-cabinet.



PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

M. R. STAPP. FILE CABINET.

APPLICATION 1 11.31) APR.12, 1905.

Inventor Attorneys Wxt se nes MILO ROB STAPP, OF ABERDEEN, WVASIllNGrlChY.

FILE-CABINET" Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24:, 1905.

Application filed April 12, 1905. Serial No. 255,195.

To MM 11/71/0710 711; ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, MILO ROB STAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Chehalis and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful File-Cabinet, of which the following is a specific ation.

This invention relates to file cabinets or cases, and more particularly to the pigeonholes thereof, the object of the invention being to provide for moving the contents of eacli individual pigeonhole to the open front thereof for convenience in removing the papers or other matter therefrom.

It is proposed to embody the invention in the nature of a follower to work within a pigeonhole, at the back thereof, and equipped with a controlling device accessible at the front of the pigeonhole, whereby the follower may be drawn forwardly, the controlling device being so arranged as not to obstruct the pigeonhole.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing-cabinet e1nbodying a series of pigeonholes equipped with the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken longitudinally through one of the pigeonholes. F .ig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the follower.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

For an adequate understanding of the application and operation of the present inven tion there has been shown in the accompanying drawings a cabinet-body or filing-case 1, which. is divided by upright and horizontal partitions 2 and 3 into a plurality of pigeonholes in any common or preferred manner, the rear ends of the pigeonholes being closed by the back 4 of the cabinet. It will. here be explained that certain or all of the pigeon holes may be equipped with devices of the present invention, and as such devices are duplicates in construction and mounting a description of one of them is deemed sufficient.

Within the pigeonhole there is a follower 5, having a working fit therein, so as to be moved back and forth. and provided with a handle bar or rod 6, projected through the front open end of the pigeonhole and provided at its front end with a knob or handle 7 for convenience in withdrawing the handle bar to move the follower toward the front of the pigeonhole,and thereby move the contents of the pigeonhole to the front thereof in position for convenient access. A suitable spring 8 is secured to the back of the follower and to the back 4 of the pigeonhole, so as to automatically retract the follower when the handle-bar is free, thereby to prevent obstructing of the pigeonhole by the follower.

To prevent the handle-bar from interfering and damaging such papers as may be contained in the pigeonhole, it is proposed to locate the bar in a groove or channel 9, provided in the top of the pigeonhole and intersecting the front thereof, there being a guide member 10, preferably in the nature of a staple, embracing the front end portion of the handle-bar and driven into the top of the pigeonhole.

To prevent the follower from being displaced through the open front of the pigeonhole, there is a guard projection 11 carried by the bottom of the follower and extending toward the front of the pigeonhole, said guard working inv a longitudinal groove or channel 12, formed in the bottom of the pigeonhole and terminated short of the front of the pigeonhole in an abrupt shoulder 13, constituting a stop for engagement by the front end of the guard projection 11, so as to limit the forward movement of the follower to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

While the guard projection 11 may be independent of the handle-bar 9, it is preferred to form these two members from a single .rod which is bent intermediate of its ends to form a connecting-bar 14, which is secured in an upright position across the back of the fol-5105 lower in any preferred manner. Brace members 15 lie at the back of the follower with their inner ends connected to the bar 1 1 and their outer ends driven into the follower, so as to brace the same and prevent it from. turning upon the bar 14.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device of the present invention is mounted in such a manner as not to reduce the capacity of the pigeonhole and not to obstruct the open front thereof and at the same time is arranged for convenient manipulation to move outwardly the contents of the pigeonhole into position for convenient access thereto through the open front of the pigeonhole. Moreover, the slidable parts of the device in front of the follower work in guideways or channels in the top and bottom of the pigeonhole and therefore are not liable to damage papers or other matter contained within the pigeonhole,

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the follower is in an advanced position only when manually held in such position, and just as soon as the handlebar is released the spring 8 automatically retracts the follower to the back of the pigeonhole, whereby the pigeonhole is never obstructed by the follower and the placing of papers and the like within the pigeonhole is never interfered with by the follower.

Having thus described the inventionpvhat is claimed is 1. A pigeonhole provided with a follower working within the back thereof and provided with a handle-bar projected at the front of the pigeonhole, one side of the pigeonhole being provided with a guide-channel within which the handlebar works.

2. A pigeonhole having a follower working within the back thereof, means accessible at the front of the pigeonhole for moving the follower forwardly, and means to automatically retract the follower when the latter is released.

3. A pigeonhole having a follower working in the back thereof, means accessible at the front of the pigeonhole for working the follower, and means to limit the forward movement of the follower.

4. A pigeonhole having a follower working in the back thereof, means at the front of the pigeonhole for working the follower, one wall of the pigeonhole being provided with a longitudinal channel having a stop therein, and

a guard projection carried by the follower and working in the channel for engagement with the stop thereof to limit the forward movement of the follower.

5. A pigeonhole having a longitudinal channel formed in one wall thereof and intersecting the front of the pigeonhole and also provided with another channel terminating short of the front of the pigeonhole, a follower working in the back of the pigeonhole, a handle-bar connected to the follower and working in the first-mentioned channel with its forward end accessible at the front of the pigeonhole, and a guard projection working in the other channel for contact with the front end thereof to limit the forward movement of the follower.

6. A pigeonhole having a follower working in the back thereof, means at the front of the pigeonhole for working the follower therein, and a spring connected to the follower and the back of the pigeonhole for automatically retracting the follower.

7. A pigeonhole having a closed back, an open front and provided in its top wall with a longitudinal channel intersecting the front of the pigeonhole and also provided in its bottom wall with a longitudinal channel terminatin short of the front end of the pigeonhole, a follower working in the back of the pigeonhole, a handle-bar connected to the follower and working in the upper channel with its front end projected in front of the pigeonhole, a guard projection carried by the bottom of the follower and working in the lower channel for engagement with the front end thereof to limit the forward movement of the follower, and a spring connected to the follower and the back of the pigeonhole to retract the follower.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILO ROB STAPP.

l/Vitnesses W. M. MELRosE, R. M. LooKE. 

